I don’t gamble, eat at buffets, or party so hard I can’t remember the night before. But I love Las Vegas enough to visit about once a year for the past 20 years…for other reasons, like normal people reasons. I love the sights, the sounds, the glam, and the grit of this city. These are a few of my favorite things…
What I Like to Do
My number one must-do is walking around those grand gorgeous hotels on the Strip. I love the kitschy themed hotels like Luxor, Paris, Venetian, New York New York, and Caesar’s Palace. And I love the neoclassic hotels like Wynn, Linq, and Aria. I just really enjoy visually taking in everything on that grandiose scale. Talk about getting your steps in for the day! My personal favorites are:
- The pyramid and Egyptian themed interior atrium at Luxor
- The canal shops at Venetian (and gondola ride)
- The roller coaster ride at New York New York
- The floral conservatory at Bellagio
What I Like to See
During my walkabouts, I like to see both free shows along the Las Vegas Strip, and seasonal exhibits in the hotels. From the volcano at the Mirage to the now extinct pirate show at Treasure Island (rebranded to simply TI), there’s something for everyone and every price point. I also enjoy the Cirque du Soleil shows, burlesque shows, and revues. My personal favorites are:
- Any Cirque du Soleil show
- Museums, galleries, and exhibits (seasonal)
- The Fountains at Bellagio
What I Like to Eat
Along my walkabouts through the hotels, I like to scope out restaurant menus. Las Vegas restaurants are world renowned, moderately priced, and worth every penny/calorie/wait time (hello, Egg Slut!). I tend to eat based on theme, so I typically migrate to those hotels. I love gelato and espresso at Bellagio, beef bourguignon at Paris, and charcuterie at Caesar’s Palace. You’ll never find me in a buffet, even before a half marathon. I’d sit in the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian and feel like I’m eating at a cafe in Italy. In fact, my favorite places to eat are in the Venetian:
- Grimaldi’s Pizzaria
- Mercato della Pescheria
- Otto Enoteca Pizzeria
What I Like to Drink
Wine. Anywhere. Whether it’s in my own hotel (wherever I’m staying on any given trip) or in the Eiffel Tower bar, I’m having wine. Sure, I love a cocktail once in a while, particularly sidecars, but most of the time I’m ordering wine. Some of my favorite places to sip wine are:
- Spago by Wolfgang Puck in Caesar’s Palace Forum Shops
- Eiffel Tower Restaurant bar in Paris
- Any of the restaurants in the Venetian Grand Canal Shoppes
What I Like to Wear
Because there’s such an attire variety of tourists, employees, and escorts walking around at all hours of the day and night, I feel like Las Vegas is one of those places where you could get away with wearing just about anything. Dress up or dress down, and dress everything in between. On a recent visit, I took the opportunity to bring my Vesper Lynd costume from one of my favorite Bond films, Casino Royale. I’ve also run Rock n Roll Marathon Series races in 80’s prom dresses…because why not? When I pack clothing for Las Vegas, it usually includes the following:
- Maxi dresses and a blue jean jacket
- Something glam
- Comfortable shoes (always)
Las Vegas Pros
So I keep coming back! Las Vegas is endearing, charming, and edgy. These are some of my overall pros of Las Vegas:
- World class cuisine
- Abundance of shows and activities
- EVERYTHING is grand
- Shopping
- Scenery
Las Vegas Cons
As much as I love Las Vegas, I dislike several things that I seem to experience every time I visit. These are some of my overall cons of Las Vegas:
- Cigarette smoke everywhere
- Dry desert air…need multiple applications of lotion
- Variable weather, usually just hot year-round, but extreme temperature changes during the winter
- Escort card flippers outside the hotels
- Taxi fare
- Coming home broke, dehydrated, and exhausted
What are some of your favorite Las Vegas things?